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Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve vs Knob Creek 12 Year
Comparing Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve and Knob Creek 12 Year reveals a matchup between a traditional, spice-driven Kentucky staple and a traditional, spice-driven Kentucky staple.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve | Knob Creek 12 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 9 years | 12 years +3 yr |
| Proof | 120 proof (60% ABV) +20 proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$45 – $55 ~$13 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve and Knob Creek 12 Year do not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Knob Creek 12 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Knob Creek 12 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 8/5 heat: Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 8 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 5 out of 10
spice 7/6 spice: Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
oak 8/9 oak: Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 8 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 9 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 6 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 6 out of 10
fruit 3/3 fruit: Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 3 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 3 out of 10
nuttiness 7/7 nuttiness: Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 7 out of 10, Knob Creek 12 Year 7 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Proof and heat dominate the difference.
- Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve: The same nine-year Knob Creek juice bottled from a single barrel at 120 proof, and the extra strength suits it. Everything the standard bottling does, turned up — with the barrel-to-barrel variation that comes with the format.
- Knob Creek 12 Year: Three more years in the barrel than the standard Knob Creek, and the wood does all the talking. Deep oak and leather over the familiar Beam peanut note, drying toward genuinely tannic on the finish.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve if you want the Beam profile at serious proof for well under what most barrel-strength bourbons cost.
- Go with Knob Creek 12 Year if you want the Beam house profile pushed as far into oak as it goes while staying balanced with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve); neat, rocks (Knob Creek 12 Year).